


Perils of Summer

by notenoughcoffee



Series: Ignored Instincts [2]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 03:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19054720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notenoughcoffee/pseuds/notenoughcoffee
Summary: A flash of movement in the garden catches Cleves' attention. She goes against her better judgement to investigate.





	Perils of Summer

Cleves lifted her tea bag from her mug, pressing it against the side to squeeze every drop out of it lest she sacrifice half a sip. As she was throwing it in the compost bin, a flash of movement through the window caught her eye. 

She closed her eyes and took a calming breath, already knowing that going outside to investigate was going to be a terrible idea, but that she was going to go ahead and do it anyways. She counted to ten slowly before releasing the breath, opening her eyes, setting her tea on the table, and heading for the door into the back garden.

Approaching Boleyn, Cleves had to fight the urge to turn right back around and return to her now rapidly cooling cup of tea. Boleyn was sitting in a patch of grass, bent over at an odd angle, and hissing through her teeth with every breath. Cleves could see her clutching at her shin.

“Your leg’s bleeding.”

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed that half of my goddamned blood was flowing out of my leg, but thanks for letting me know,” Boleyn all but growled at her.

“Don’t be so fucking dramatic,” Cleves noted the tiny trickle of blood making its way through Boleyn’s fingers and down to soak into her white sock. “Let me see it.”

Boleyn shook her head back and forth violently, not wanting to remove her hand from the wound or let Cleves anywhere near it. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at Cleves.

Cleves contained the eye roll but could not control the annoyed sigh escaping her. She tried to channel her best impression of Jane as she crouched down to Boleyn’s eye level and pulled at the hand covering her injury.

“No! If I don’t keep the pressure on it I’ll bleed out!” Boleyn screeched frantically trying to push Cleves’ prying hands away.

“You’re not going to bleed out, you idiot. There’s barely anything there.”

“It hurts,” heavy tears rolling down her cheeks, she looked at Cleves like a pitiful child.

Cleves checked her impulse to snap at the girl. She lowered her voice and whispered, “Then let me help you.”

Slowly, she was able to loosen Boleyn’s grip on her leg and pull the hand away to reveal a raised welt and a clot already formed around the tiny spot of broken skin. “What did you do?”

“What did  _ I _ do?  _ I  _ didn’t do anything! It came out of nowhere and assaulted  _ me _ !”

Cleves scoffed as she stood up, offering her hand to help Boleyn stand. Once she was upright, she leant heavily against Cleves’ shoulder and whimpered with every step they took toward the door. Cleves tried her best to support her as they made the arduous eighteen step journey from the site of Boleyn’s assault to the chair at the kitchen table, but she was unable to hide some of her exasperation She tutted loudly as Boleyn gave a yelp as she propped her leg to rest on another chair.

“Wait! Don’t I get an analgesic before you start?” Boleyn pleaded after Cleves had fetched the first aid kit. 

The alcohol wipe raised in midair stalled. Cleves picked up her mug of tea to stop herself from saying anything hurtful. The still near-boiling temperature not deterring her from downing the entire contents in the slightest.

Cleves rose from her position on the floor and fetched the bottle of whisky she kept hidden behind the bland, non-sugary cereals in case of emergencies. She dropped the bottle down in front of Boleyn and observed as the girl watched the amber liquid slosh around. Cleves was tempted to swig from it herself.

Boleyn took a few small sips from the bottle, grimacing at the taste more than the burn before she gave a nod for Cleves to begin.

The next five minutes were the longest in Cleves’ entire life. The howling and whining going straight through her head, and Boleyn’s begging for her to hurry up and finish made her want to dump the rest of the whisky down her throat. She finished applying the plaster, and took a brief, satisfying moment to avenge her now-shot nerves by giving the plaster a smack. “There! All done!” She shouted over Boleyn’s protesting wail.

“Oh my, what’s happened here?” Jane asked in a gentle voice as she set her purse down, removing the sunglasses from her face.

Boleyn kicked off the waterworks again, recounting the story of the monstrous wasp the size of a house cat that tried to murder her while she collected flowers for the vase in Jane’s room. She cuddled herself into Jane’s side while telling her how Cleves had yelled at her, and called her a big baby, and smacked her wound again when all she had tried to do was something nice for a person she loved.

Jane stroked her hair and held her close, whispering assurances that she was going to be okay, and how brave she was, and how kind it was that she would think to do such a wonderful thing.

Cleves turned the kettle back on, wishing she hadn’t ignored her instinct again.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Your leg's bleeding." "Oh really? I hadn't noticed that half my goddamned blood was flowing out of my leg, but thanks for letting me know."


End file.
